MADISON -- A new poll finds that health care is Americans' top issue heading into the 2018 election. That’s bad news for Republican U.S. Senate candidates Leah Vukmir and Kevin Nicholson, who are pushing extreme health care plans that would jack up premiums and strip care away from millions of Americans.

According to a newly-released NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 38 percent of voters say health care is either their first or second most important issue, heading into November’s election -- while 22 percent cite health care as their top 2018 issue, overall.

Despite Americans’ increased focus on health care access and affordability, Leah Vukmir and Kevin Nicholson are nevertheless campaigning on repealing the Affordable Care Act -- a destructive policy move that’s opposed by 60 percent of Wisconsinites and which would spike consumer costs, gut protections for people with preexisting conditions and take care away from tens of millions of Americans.

“Wisconsin voters aren’t going to let Leah Vukmir and Kevin Nicholson get away with backing the failed Republican health care plan that would raise costs for working families, end protections for people with pre-existing conditions and allow insurance companies to charge seniors thousands of dollars more," said Brad Bainum, DPW spokesperson for the 2018 Senate race. "What's clear is that Vukmir and Nicholson are in the pocket of their powerful special interest backers and billionaire donors, not on the side of hardworking Wisconsin families."President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ health care sabotage-- which Vukmir and Nicholson have cheered on -- has already led toskyrocketing premiums and millions more uninsured Americans. Wisconsinites’health care premiums are set to spike by 36 percent, while prescription drug costs are skyrocketing and more Americans are skipping doctor’s visitsbecause they can’t afford them. And the sabotage isn't stopping anytime soon: U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has said that he hopes Republicans spend the month of August focused on trying to force through a dangerous Trumpcare plan -- a reckless move that is sure to further sow seeds of uncertainty and destabilize insurance markets.

Despite all of that, Vukmir and Nicholson both oppose bipartisan, common-sense efforts to correct GOP-led sabotage and stabilize market -- all because the big donors and corporate special interests backing their campaigns have made it clear that they want the Affordable Care Act repealed.